Ragged Mountain Reservior Access Talking Points
What You Can Do
✔ Speak up. Use CAMBC’s talking points and your experiences to make your support heard, and Sign the petition
✔ Sign up. Attend Board of Supervisors (BoS) meetings, they don’t just have to be in your district
➜ Albemarle BoS Meetings & Town Hall Calendar
✔ Share. This is about more than just bikers. Share our outreach messaging with others who love our reservoir trail system. We need ALL of our trail users to be involved in this process. ✔ Stay Tuned. Community members can stay up to date on calls to action in the following ways
✔ Learn. Read up on the community water supply plan, reservoir management and conditions
➜ Reservoir Water Quality and Management: A First Look
➜ South Rivanna Reservoir to Ragged Mountain Reservoir Water Line Project
➜ Community Water Supply Plan - Rivanna Authorities
➜ Ragged Mountain recreational uses- how we got here
At CAMBC, we appreciate your engagement and support. We ask that as you add your voice to our coalition of trail users, that you honor our values of respect and partnership.
Messaging Tips
✔ Keep it Kind. At CAMBC we strive to foster positive relationships with other trail users, clubs, and municipal land managers. The spirit of our interactions will be respectful, collaborative, and positive. Let’s do our part to preserve civil discourse.
✔ Stick to the facts. The CAMBC board has crafted our messaging based on years of engagement with stakeholders. By aligning our messaging, we are more likely to be successful. Use our provided talking points to guide your contributions, but make them your own.
✔ Your personal experience matters. Personal anecdotes that help our elected officials relate to the facts are critical! Share your positive experiences, photos and appreciation for Ragged Mountain.
Albemarle County Residents: Key Points for Board of Supervisors Contact information:
HEALTHY OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES DO NOT HARM OUR DRINKING WATER
✔ RSWA and Bikes. The Rivanna Water & Sewer Authority has repeatedly commented on biking and other healthy outdoor activities on all trails at all of the county reservoirs. RWSA specifically indicates that they “do not anticipate any significant impact on water quality” from recreational uses including “hiking, biking, running…” on the trails around ANY of the county reservoirs. The RWSA reservoir monitoring during the last 8 years, the time when trail access was in litigation and shared use was the norm, shows no degradation in water quality at Ragged Mountain Reservoir. The real concern regarding water quality is upstream land use practices such as land clearing, agriculture, and storm water management that contribute sediments and nutrients.
✔ Jurisdictional authority. We recognize and respect the County's jurisdictional authority and support protecting water quality. Now that this has been resolved, the BoS has a tremendous opportunity to fix the code so it remains effective at preventing pollution of the water supply without limiting healthy, non-polluting outdoor activities.
✔ Fix the Code. The Albemarle county code restricting certain kinds of use around our reservoirs no longer reflects the research, expert opinion or the will of the people. Current research and expert support indicates that healthy outdoor activities including hiking, biking, and running on trails do not harm our drinking water. We request that the county Board of Supervisors revisit the code to align it with the evidence and public support.
HEALTHY OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES SHOULD BE PROMOTED, NOT BANNED
✔ More, not less, outdoor access. Our kids, families, and community treasure our outdoor spaces, where we can safely play, explore, and engage with nature. In a time where easy access to natural spaces away from screens and pollution is dwindling, we need as many ways for our community to interact with outdoor spaces as possible. The more access we and the more our children have to nature, the more likely we are to preserve it in the future.
✔ We support happy hikers. Hiker-only trails at Ragged Mountain Reservoir have already been designed through the City’s public process and plan, and CAMBC is only requesting one shared-use loop to allow access for bikers. The Ragged Mountain Reservoir provides a unique setting for families of all fitness and skill levels.
✔ We have the skill and the will. The trail user community is committed to rebuilding the Ragged Mountain trails after the planned submersion of the existing trails takes place. We have the expertise and volunteer human power to rebuild sustainable (minimizing erosion, protecting sensitive areas) trails and provide both shared use AND hiker only trails.